


not perfect

by thefluffqueen



Category: Glee
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2015-06-30
Packaged: 2018-04-06 21:32:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4237422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefluffqueen/pseuds/thefluffqueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They're not perfect, and that's okay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	not perfect

**Author's Note:**

> This was the first St. Berry fic I ever wrote, after buying Glee's first season on DVD.

**S** he hears Kurt's and Mercedes' hurried whispers behind her and, even though they're being more discrete than their usual, it still drowns out Mr. Schue's words about this week's assignment. The warm, male hand splayed on the small of her back is, as she has gotten used to in the last few weeks, the reason for their gossiping, of course.

"I don't think he's playing her, Kurt..." She can hear Mercedes' reluctance as she admits they may be (and are!) wrong about Jesse's motives for being with her, and her heart soars because she knows it is thanks to Jesse being proud and open about their relationship. To him, it doesn't matter that the world knows they're boyfriend and girlfriend - in fact, he  **wants** the world to know if his Facebook is proof enough of anything.

( _ **Jesse St. James** is in a relationship with  **Rachel Berry**. One day, we'll be Broadway_ _royalty._ )

She hears Kurt snorting in disbelief, can almost picture him rolling his eyes as he slightly wrinkles his nose. "Please, Mercedes. He's an  **actor** \- an excellent actor. Of course he has to perfectly play the part of adoring boyfriend, even if it is for Rachel." He pauses for a beat, then adds maliciously, "Or, should I say,  **especially** if it is for Rachel."

The soft, lazy caress on her back stills completely, and a quick glance to the handsome face of her new boyfriend tells her that, like her, he has been listening to everything his new teammates are saying.  _That's the price to pay when you have extremely sensitive hearing, I guess_ , she thinks and gives him a sad smile, leans her head against his shoulder. Jesse wraps an arm around her waist, and his fingers find their way under her sweater, caressing the smooth skin underneath the fabric.

"Don't listen to them," he whispers to her, placing a kiss to her scented hair and burying his cheek deeper into her silky locks. "You and I both know the truth."

She nods softly because it's true - only they know how their relationship is at heart. Everyone else looked at him and recognized him and immediately filed him away as a Vocal Adrenaline spy, and her as the fool who is going to end up heartbroken. No one knows that they see a kindred spirit in each other. The flaws she hates in herself, she sees as qualities in him and loves them, and the same applies to him. They're bound together by talent and trust - trust that they'll love each other completely, flaws and all.

"I love you," she whispers and he smiles. A true smile.  **Her** smile.

* * *

**J** esse feels his skin tingling, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Rachel's by his side, discussing Neil Diamond with Puckerman (he hears the other guy mention  _Sweet Caroline_ with a smirk, and Rachel looks at him fondly, chuckling and saying "Oh, Noah," before going back to their conversation). Quinn pipes in every now and then, her hand resting on her expanding stomach, and Jesse wraps an arm around Rachel's shoulder and presses a quick kiss to her temple.

Quinn smiles softly at him - at them, actually - but then looks past him, and a shadow of reservation falls over his face as she shakes her head slowly. He looks over his shoulder and, unsurprisingly, Hudson is glaring at him, jealousy turning his face ashen and distorted. He sighs, half in impatience, half in resignation, because he and Rachel are two months into their relationship and he has gotten used to being subject of many a glares from the quarterback .

Rachel shifts in her seat and leans against his side, her breath soft and warm on his neck (he shivers slightly in pleasure) when she says, "Ignore him. I love  **you**."

Having heard her, Quinn grins at them and pokes Puckerman's large bicep. "Puck, your spawn wants a Snickers bar. As in right now if you don't want the baby to be born resembling a big mix of chocolate and peanut butter." Puckerman rolls his eyes but nods obediently, leaving the choir room and his so-called baby mama comfortably settled on her chair. "Finn can't seem to make up his mind," she offers, easily but quietly, and Jesse feels Rachel sigh and nod next to him.

"What do you mean?" He asks curiously.

"Earlier this year, he was always going back and forth Rachel and I, because he thought I was having his baby and he loved me, but at the same time he was attracted to Rachel, who understood and embraced his newfound interest in glee club, while I didn't, at the beginning, I mean." She smiles at Jesse. "I wasn't always the loser girl who got knocked up with her boyfriend's best friend's baby, you know? I used to be royalty like you."

"Then I blew Babygate wide open, as in, I told Finn the truth after figuring out on my own that Noah was the father. Noah then took over father duties, and Finn could be with me," Rachel carries on. "And, for a while, we were together. But, as an admittedly high maintenance girl, I proved to be more than he wanted to have, so he dumped me to, and I quote, 'chase his inner rockstar'," she finishes wryly. Quinn rolls her eyes and snorts.

"In Finn's mind, Rachel wasn't supposed to move on. Face it, RuPaul, that's your own fault because you were always there for him," states the blonde, and Rachel huffs but nods somewhat reluctantly. "But then she did, and she's so happy with the person she moved on with." She smiles at them, and Rachel smiles back at her.

Silence falls over them, and Puckerman returns with the candy Quinn asked. She rises, groaning as she massages her lower back. "I need to go for a walk. My ankles are starting to look larger than an elephant's. C'mon, Berry. Keep me company for a while. Let the boys chat."

Rachel rolls her eyes and nods, stands up and presses her lips to his, whispering "I love you" before walking away with the pregnant former cheerleader. Puckerman and he watch the girls' retreating backs, before the jock turns to him, staring him down with eyes that are protectively intimidating.

"Hurt her, and I'll fucking kill you," he says seriously, and Jesse looks at him for a long moment, his skin still warm from where it brushed against Rachel's. He then nods, only once, very solemnly. Puck nods back, then adds, "So, what do you think of Queen?"

 

* * *

**T** hey're not perfect. They're  **not**. Jesse still acts like he's better than the rest of New Directions, and Rachel still struggles to balance her need to shine above everyone else with her desire to be accepted by everyone.

But she loves that Jesse is like her, that he is better than their other teammates and knows it. And he loves that Rachel is ambitious and driven, that she has her entire life mapped out in front of her eyes.

They're not perfect. And that's more than okay.

 


End file.
